It’s said that you should never meet your heroes, but 36 years after the Liverpool manager sat by my hospital bed, I got to thank our greatest ally Born to a son of Anfield in a Warwickshire village, I grew up geographically remote from my spiritual football home. Emotionally, though,...
What a 14-year-old Instagram sensation and six-hitting superstar tells us about life and cricket | Barney Ronay
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inexorable rise will continue in the Indian Premier League this year, but it is unlikely to stop there It’s that time of year again, a time of lists and countdowns, of soul-crushing AI brain-vomit ringed by adverts for miracle dental implants. In the spirit of the season the...
Chess: Magnus Carlsen wins two more world speed crowns despite mishaps
The Norwegian, 35, overcame elite fields despite time forfeits after knocking over pieces in critical games The world No 1, Magnus Carlsen, recovered from a series of mishaps to win both the World Rapid and Blitz crowns at Doha, Qatar, last weekend. The global victories were the 19th and 20th...
Venus Williams, 45, gets wild card to play first Australian Open in five years
Williams to return to Melbourne Park at age 45 Seven-time major champion earns wild-card entry Set to become oldest woman in Open main draw Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open beginning 18 January in Melbourne. The tournament said Friday that...
Our readers’ favourite Ashes cricketers: from Bradman and Botham to Warne and Waugh
We picked our top 100 and now our readers have selected their favourites from men’s series down the years With the emphasis on favourite rather than best, Jonny Bairstow. The Ashes sums up the ups and downs of his England career, starting with the 2013 series when he sacrificed his...
Thomas Frank’s Spurs booed off after toiling to point on his Brentford return
There was an extraordinary moment just before kick-off here when Thomas Frank strode 20 yards on to the pitch and applauded all four corners of the stadium. The Tottenham head coach was applauded back by the Brentford fans because he will always be a hero to them. His work over...
Usman Khawaja’s retirement farewell shows how cricket can be an expression of character | Gideon Haigh
Touching on his relationship with God, his family and racism, the Australian articulates how he became a better cricketer as he became a better man There is no gainsaying Usman Khawaja’s significance as an Australian Test cricketer; an additional mark of his stature is that he almost made you take...
PDC world darts: Van Veen dumps Humphries out as Littler wins over crowd
Former world champion beaten 5-1 by rising star Littler cheered during rout of Krzysztof Ratajski For the third time in this match, Gian van Veen is lining up the bull finish for a 170. This time, though, he steps away from the oche, and as the noise builds and swells...
Wasteful Ekitiké helps Leeds keep toiling Liverpool at arm’s length
Two unbeaten records were maintained at Anfield but only one team took satisfaction along with their point. Leeds succeeded in stifling and frustrating Liverpool as the first goalless draw of Arne Slot’s reign underlined the limitations that linger behind the Premier League champions’ recent recovery. A drab scoreless draw, the...
The Guardian Footballer of the Year Jess Carter: ‘I remember not wanting to go out’
England defender publicly confronted racist abuse at the Euros and ended 2025 a title winner with club and country The Guardian Footballer of the Year is an award given to a player who has done something remarkable, whether by overcoming adversity, helping others or setting a sporting example by acting...